T. Narasipur: Three children were drowned while more than 10 persons sustained injuries, when the goods auto in which they were travelling on the canal bund, lost its balance and fell into a canal near Vatal village yesterday afternoon.

The deceased children have been identified as Putti (13), daughter of Nanjunda Shetty, resident of Boodamballi Moole village, Yalandur taluk in Chamarajanagar district, Pramod (5), son of Kumar and Mahadevaprasad (4), son of Balaram. The injured, who are undergoing treatment at the General Hospital in the town, have been identified as Mahadevamma, Jyothi, Geetha, Mangalamma, Ravi, Manju, Suvarna, Rajamma, Chikkathayamma and Nagamma of the same village.

Mahadevamma and a two-year-old boy, who had sustained serious injuries, have been shifted to a private hospital in Mysuru.

A total of about 18 persons, including children and women of Boodamballi Moole village, had gone to Sri Kennamma Devi Temple and Sri Mahabaleshwara Temple in Vatal village in a goods auto (KA-10 2542) and after performing puja at these temples, they were proceeding on the lake bund to visit another temple, when the driver lost control of the auto resulting in the vehicle falling into the canal.

While the bodies of Mahadevaprasad and Pramod were found, the body of Putti is yet to be traced. The villagers, who saw the goods auto falling into the canal, rushed to the help and managed to rescue those trapped in the goods auto besides shifting them to the hospital.

Circle Inspector Manoj Kumar visited the spot. SI N. Anand and ASI Doddegowda, who have registered a case, are investigating.